Moon bear Fern experiences outdoors after two decades on bile farm
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Animals Asia rescued Fern, a moon bear, from a bile farm in Vietnam after she spent 21 years in a dark cage.
The organization shared that Fern recently took her first steps outside, cautiously adjusting to sunlight, fresh air, and open space. Bear bile farms confine bears for years to extract bile used in some traditional medicines, a practice Animals Asia describes as cruel.
The sanctuary provides Fern with the opportunity to heal at her own pace, allowing her to choose when to venture outdoors. Experts emphasize that the long-term rehabilitation of rescued animals is a crucial but often unseen part of animal welfare. Restoring an animal’s ability to make choices, like deciding whether to stay inside or go outside, is considered vital to the recovery process. Fern’s progress is part of a larger effort to protect moon bears.
Other recent rescues include 27 bears in Laos who experienced grass and honey for the first time, a bear freed in Michigan after being trapped by a plastic lid, and ongoing bear protection work in Spain and Texas.
